Another action is required to move the ABA program forward!
Your efforts, along with other advocates and providers, pushed the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to take a small step forward in implementing the Medicaid ABA benefit!
HHSC has sent a letter asking the Governor’s office and the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) to approve funding for the program. HHSC also included proposed rates for provider reimbursement and set a date for the program to start (if funded) for March 1st of 2021 – a year later than was proposed in December of 2019.
Now we need a second push!
Please contact the Governor’s office, House and Senate Leadership, and the member of LBB listed below and tell them:
- Approve funding for the $7.9 million dollar General Revenue request for intensive intervention behavior services for the remainder of the 2020-21 biennium
It’s also important to remind decision-makers that HHSC must:
- Set “reasonable provider reimbursement rates” to ensure that all children who qualify for the benefit will receive services
- Don’t predetermine and limit services by age – allocate supports according to medical necessity
- Keep other autism services like the Children’s Autism Program separate as the other programs provide a unique set of critical supports and services
Please call or email these offices:
Governor’s Office | (512) 463-1762 | greg.abbott@gov.texas.gov |
Lt. Governor – Dan Patrick | (512) 463-0001 | dan.patrick@ltgov.state.tx.us |
Speaker of the House – Dennis Bonnen | (512) 463-1000 | dennis.bonnen@house.texas.gov |
Senator Jane Nelson | (512) 463-0112 | jane.nelson@senate.texas.gov |
Senator Kelly Hancock | (512) 463-0109 | kelly.hancock@senate.texas.gov |
Senator Larry Taylor | (512) 463-0111 | larry.taylor@senate.texas.gov |
Senator Joan Huffman | (512) 463-0117 | joan.huffman@senate.texas.gov |
Representative Giovanni Capriglione | (512) 463-0690 | giovanni.capriglione@house.texas.gov |
Representative Oscar Longoria | (512) 463-0645 | oscar.longoria@house.texas.gov |
Representative Dustin Burrows | (512) 463-0542 | dustin.burrows@house.texas.gov |
Representative Mary Gonzalez | (512) 463-0613 | mary.gonzalez@house.texas.gov |
As a reference, below are the information sheets on the Medicaid ABA Benefit, the Children’s Autism Program, and What is ABA? from our first Medicaid/ABA alert.
Implement Rider 32 – Medicaid ABA Benefit! | Children’s Autism Program (CAP) One-Page Information Sheet | What is Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy? IBI vs. ABA, and Rider 32 |